The Perfect Subtle Make-up Tutorial

School, work, a fancy lunch - sometimes it's just more appropriate for your makeup to be a little subtle. This can get a little tricky, especially if you've stuck to the same makeup routine for ages and can't imagine ever having to alter it. Remember, subtle makeup doesn't necessarily mean you have to ditch it all - keep your same products, but look for colour alternatives where you can. Too confusing? I've described everything in detail below...

Base
Before you open those foundation bottles, it's a really good idea to apply BB or CC Cream first. This will even out your coverage so you won't need as much proper, heavy-duty makeup afterwards.

Concealer, baby! Use a concealer that is an exact match to your skin, if you're lucky enough to find one. If you've had a really hard time sleeping, use a concealer/eye brightener one shade lighter than your skin tone to the area under your eyes only. Apply your normal concealer to under-eye circles and any blemishes you may have.

At this point, you can either apply a lightweight foundation all over your face or a heavy-duty one only on the areas you really need it (which shouldn't be much after you're used concealer). When you set your foundation, opt for a translucent-coloured powder rather than one that is yellow-based. This will keep it looking super natural!

Eyes
The best part about mascara is that you can pile it on and it almost never looks OTT. The only things you need to watch out for are clumps and lashes that are way too long (easily avoided).

You can definitely apply eyeliner and stay subtle! Just keep the line relatively thin and stay away from winged lines.

Barbara Palvin

When it comes to eyeshadow, think about the colours of the normal products you'd use before you pile it all on. Use a light brown as your "base" colour, then use a darker colour for your outer crease. Finish it off with using a very light colour on the inner corners of your eye, as well as a brow highlighter. Remember, this is all optional.

Lips
Sadly, you should keep your lips looking natural. This doesn't mean you have to keep your lips bare - just try to use lipsticks that are brownish-pink, or ones that are quite close to your natural lip colour. I always stick to my Maybelline Baby Lips, because it's moisturising and easy to keep in your bag.

Extras
If it's winter and you haven't quite kept your tan from summer, you can definitely get away with bronzer! Draw a "3" on both sides of your face from your forehead, through your cheekbones and down to your jawline.

When it comes to looking subtle, I would try to stay away from blush. Most people naturally have slightly pink cheeks anyway, so no one will know the difference!


Wow, that was actually a lot of writing! Remember to let me know if this helped you at all, because I don't normally post about tutorials. Till next time xx

Next Week: First World Problems